Dream Box Education

07/07/2025

What's something you wish more people understood about autism?

05/07/2025

The biggest mistake I see people making with End of Year Transition booklets is only talking about what’s changing!

As another school year draws to a close it’s almost inevitable that your SEND child is going to get sent home with a transition booklet. Over the years I’ve seen some amazing creations and some that quite frankly weren’t worth the paper they were written on.

But even the best transition booklets have all missed these crucial details: The things that will stay the same!

Have you ever been to a restaurant to find it’s been refurbished, I bet you wondered if they still served your favourite dish?

Has your favourite brand ever changed their packaging design, I bet you wondered if the product you loved had been changed too?

It’s a natural chain of thought. If one aspect of something is changed we’ll naturally wonder if other things have changed to and consequently something that was familiar and safe now feels unpredictable.

The purpose of a transition booklet it to ease the transition into the new year, to make it more predictable. But if we only include details of what will change and don’t make it clear what will stay the same it’s impossible for the book to do it’s job.

Now, obviously we can’t include every last detail or we’d be creating transition booklets that would rival ‘War and Peace’.

What are the things in school that help your child feel safe and secure? What are the things they often mention? These are the facts you want to include, whether they are changing or staying the same!

21/05/2025

You’re not Mum…

Well of course you are Mum to your child, just not to everyone else!
I’ve lost count of the number of emails I’ve read, meeting I’ve been in where a parent has been referred to as ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’ rather than their name and it infuriates me. It infuriates me that professionals do this and it infuriates me that you as parents let them.

Mum is not your identity. It is a role you have. It’s a part of you but not the whole of you. Letting professionals refer to you as Mum impacts on your ability to build collaborative relationships and ensure your child gets the support they need.

As parents you know your child inside out, you spend hours researching, learning and then implementing strategies to help your them succeed in life. You live their challenges and the solutions day in day out. You may not have the letters after your name, a title plate on your door but this doesn’t mean your knowledge and experience is any less valid that the professionals in the room with you.

In all of the meeting where parental knowledge and experience is treated with respect, where parents are seen as a valuable part of the team, you know how they are referred to… By their name.

Every time you let a professional refer to you as ‘Mum’ you are allowing the opposite to happen, you are undermining yourself, putting yourself on a lower rung than them.

You have a name, don’t let professional refer to you as ‘Mum’, don’t introduce yourself as ‘Callum’s Mum’ or even just ‘Mum’?
Stand up for yourself, stand up for your child and ask to be called by your name.

19/03/2025

I'm proud to be supporting Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025! 🌟

This week is all about challenging misconceptions, breaking down barriers, and celebrating the incredible strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals.

Together, let’s create a more inclusive world that understands and champions neurodiversity in all its forms.

What does Neurodiversity mean to you?

08/01/2025

Everywhere you look right now people are sharing their new years resolutions, goals for 2025 and their word of the year.

You won't find me doing that.

The christmas period is filled with change.

🎉 School routine is abandoned for christmas concerts, parties and trips.
👗 Some days we wear uniform, some we don't.
🎊We change the layout of rooms to incorporate decorations
🎄Trees that are usually outside are brought inside.
✨️Even the streets look different with Christmas lights everywhere.

Whether your child loves christmas or not, there is a lot of change and this can be hard for autistic individuals.

So right now neither me nor my clients need any more change.

Instead we'll be going back to our tried and trusted ways. The focus will be on familiarity and consistency to help our nervous systems regulate again so we're ready to learn and continue making progress.

Change will come, when the circumstances are right, when it's needed and the children are ready.

01/11/2024

I am really looking forward to delivering this workshop for PACT for Autism in Epping this Tuesday.

Everyone welcome, booking open till noon on Monday.

A workshop for Parents and Carers in person on at Epping Hall with Dreambox education and PACT for Autism

17/10/2024

The support each family needs is different. Sometimes it's weekly in person sessions, sometimes it's once a month parent coaching calls. Sometime we work together for a month other times it's years.

But the reason they choose to stop our sessions is always the same. They feel confident in their parenting. They feel they understand their child, what it means for them to be autistic and most importantly how to support them so they thrive.

10/10/2024

**I've only gone and done it**

Over the past 8.5 yearsof runnimg DreamBox, I've lost count of the number of client that have said

**What you've taught me has changed our lives, you should create a course"**

Well here it is...

**DreamBox Foundations – An interactive course designed to empower parents of Autistic children to build a life they love**

Parenting raises lots of questions

Parenting an autistic child raises even more.

Autism is a different way of thinking. A different way of experiencing the world.

It can make life feel more challenging, for you and your child.

It can leave you feeling lots and confused about how best to support your child.

It doesn't have to be this way

DreamBox Foundations will ensure you've got the knowledge, skills and understanding to support you and your child to begin building a life that you love.

The course starts on Thursday 7th November with options to attend in person or online.

You can find out exactly what we'll cover and all the support you'll get plus how to book in the link in my bio

09/10/2024

**I've only gone and done it**

Over the past 8.5 yearsof runnimg DreamBox, I've lost count of the number of client that have said

**What you've taught me has changed our lives, you should create a course"**

Well here it is...

**DreamBox Foundations – An interactive course designed to empower parents of Autistic children to build a life they love**

Parenting raises lots of questions

Parenting an autistic child raises even more.

Autism is a different way of thinking. A different way of experiencing the world.

It can make life feel more challenging, for you and your child.

It can leave you feeling lots and confused about how best to support your child.

It doesn't have to be this way

DreamBox Foundations will ensure you've got the knowledge, skills and understanding to support you and your child to begin building a life that you love.

The course starts on Thursday 7th November with options to attend in person or online.

You can find out exactly what we'll cover and all the support you'll get plus how to book here:

A 7 week interactive course to support you to understand and support your autistic child so they thrive

26/08/2024

Not going back to school this September?
Live near Mersea Island Essex?

This could be an opportunity for you.

🌞 UPDATE All now allocated 🌞
FREE BEACH HUT DAYS
Only a week until social media will be full of back to school photos. Not everyone will be going back, either because of illness, disability, lack of school placement, home educated, mental health difficulties or lots of other reasons.
From 2/9 - 6/9 I will be offering FREE days in the beach huts to families who won’t be going back to school for whatever reason so they can also make memories, have fun and take brilliant photos to be proud of.
Message me if you would like to be considered for a free day in Mabel or Erin that week.
(Up to 6 people, usual beach hut rental terms and conditions apply)

26/08/2024

Autistic individuals experience the world differently.

When we view an autistic person through a neurotypical lens we often come to the conclusion they're choosing not to do things, when in truth they can't do them.

What if its not they won't tidy their bedroom BUT they CAN'T get started. It feels like a huge task and their executive functioning challenges make it difficult for them to know where to start.

What if its not they won't pay attention BUT they CAN'T filter out all the sensory information coming in and focus on the important stuff.

Whar if ita not They won't speak to me BUT they CAN'T find the words to answer. Or their anxiety is high, they know what they want to say but their in freeze and the words just won't come out.

NOW what if we believe they WANT to do them but need the right supports and adjustments so that the CAN'T becomes a CAN?

12/08/2024

Don’t Miss It!

The wonderful Jo Gaunt Be Wise and Thrive is joining me live in my facebook group - Successfully Parenting Your Autistic Child: From Surviving to Thriving.

We’ll be discussing her new book, her ‘be wise and thrive’ approach and answering all your questions on how to live a life you love as a neurodivergent family!

Why not come join us - Successfully Parenting Your Autistic Child: From Surviving to Thriving